Please stop. He was the leading scorer and goal scorer on an NCAA-title winning team. Underwhelming my ass. Sorry he didnt score 46 goals like Cal Ingraham or 120 points like Tony Hrkac.

Again, what was expected out of kid who was a reach at 19th overall? He wasnt expected to set the NCAA on fire.

Anybody who has followed Kreider's career knows he plays his best during big moments -- Beanpots, WJC's, NCAA's, Conference playoffs, NHL playoffs.

Listen - this isn't about his draft position. It's about the fact that he's considered by many to be a top 20 prospect (sometimes flirting with the top 10).

The hype is based primarily on his tools, which haven't consistently yielded very impressive tangible results. It's not all about stats, obviously, but at some point you need to translate the raw potential into production if you want to be considered a top tier scoring forward prospect.

Listen - this isn't about his draft position. It's about the fact that he's considered by many to be a top 20 prospect (sometimes flirting with the top 10).

The hype is based primarily on his tools, which haven't consistently yielded very impressive tangible results. It's not all about stats, obviously, but at some point you need to translate the raw potential into production if you want to be considered a top tier scoring forward prospect.

He hasn't been consistently impressive. This isnt news.

Yet he's delivered in so many big spots throughout his career, so the "hype" is most certainly deserved.

Ask anybody who has covered Hockey East outside of Chestnut Hill, and they will tell you Kreider is as close to they come as a big game, money player as they come.

Screw the AHL and his current poor season. The kid came right out of college into a pressure-packed NHL postseason and had one of the better playoffs for rookies. He did the same thing in the NCAAs and in the WJC.

]Screw the AHL and his current poor season.[/B] The kid came right out of college into a pressure-packed NHL postseason and had one of the better playoffs for rookies. He did the same thing in the NCAAs and in the WJC.

Of course you would say that, it doesnt fit your agenda. I just love how you prop up 18 ok games in the NHL playoffs(where he shot a likely unsustainable 17% and had 70% offensive zone starts), but throw out his two mediocre years in college(even his 3rd wasnt even that great), and his Scott Glennie-esque production so far in the AHL.

Kreider wasn't a cant-miss draft pick. He was a gamble. He was taken high at 19. In fact, THN had him 24th overall, while Kimelman and Roark (NHL.com) had him at 25 to the Bruins in their Mocks. Holland (NHL.com didnt even have him going in the 1st round).

Quote:

Originally Posted by GWOW

Again, what was expected out of kid who was a reach at 19th overall? He wasnt expected to set the NCAA on fire.

That is absolutely absurd. There is no planet on which taking a kid 19th who was projected at 24th or 25th could be considered a "reach". Just like there is no planet on which a kid projected 19th being taken 24th or 25th would be considered "falling".

Nobody said he was amazing in the playoffs. he was just one of the better rookies in the playoffs. Also a 23-goal pace, which is what most people predicted for him in 2013 playing in New York

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaos

Of course you would say that, it doesnt fit your agenda. I just love how you prop up 18 ok games in the NHL playoffs(where he shot a likely unsustainable 17% and had 70% offensive zone starts), but throw out his two mediocre years in college(even his 3rd wasnt even that great), and his Scott Glennie-esque production so far in the AHL.

What made him mediocre in college? Stats? Oh, I see. So his college stats are a real barometer, but his NHL playoff performance was as abberation simply because you said so? OK, I guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mayor Bee

That is absolutely absurd. There is no planet on which taking a kid 19th who was projected at 24th or 25th could be considered a "reach". Just like there is no planet on which a kid projected 19th being taken 24th or 25th would be considered "falling".

The point is that at no point during his pre-draft or immediate post-draft period was Kreider ever considered by anybody (to include rangers fans) as an "elite" or "blue chip" prospect. Kreider's status improved with his WJC performance. He was viewed by many as a bit of a gamble simply because of the circuit he was drafted out of of.

What made him mediocre in college? Stats? Oh, I see. So his college stats are a real barometer, but his NHL playoff performance was as abberation simply because you said so? OK, I guess.

Theres this very important thing you seem to be ignoring called sample size. His mediocre college stats were accumulated over 3 seasons and 114 games. His 32 point pace playoff performance was accumulated over a whopping 18 games. Where he shot a very likely unsustainable 17%. And was given extremely favorable zone starts.

I'll ask this question again, since you keep ignoring it. Why are you so quick to praise his 18 game playoff performance, but completely ignore his lack of production through 29 AHL games this season? Or his lack of consistent production over a 114 game college career?

Theres this very important thing you seem to be ignoring called sample size. His mediocre college stats were accumulated over 3 seasons and 114 games. His 32 point pace playoff performance was accumulated over a whopping 18 games. Where he shot a very likely unsustainable 17%. And was given extremely favorable zone starts.

I'll ask this question again, since you keep ignoring it. Why are you so quick to praise his 18 game playoff performance, but completely ignore his lack of production through 29 AHL games this season? Or his lack of consistent production over a 114 game college career?

How many games of his in college did you watch?

And the only reason why I dont put any stock into what he's done in the AHL is because I personally saw him use his size, speed and skill at the highest level of NHL hockey. I don't care what he does in the AHL, because the knocks on him in hartford are the same knocks he's had his whole career.

Again, being a link in the chain on a dominant NHL team with star players is a lot different than being the focal point on a dick team in the AHL. Yeah, in a perfect world, he'd go down to Hartford and tear the place apart. Until i see him struggle offensively at the NHL level, then I'll be concerned.

I'll ask this question again, since you keep ignoring it. Why are you so quick to praise his 18 game playoff performance, but completely ignore his lack of production through 29 AHL games this season? Or his lack of consistent production over a 114 game college career?

And the only reason why I dont put any stock into what he's done in the AHL is because I personally saw him use his size, speed and skill at the highest level of NHL hockey. I don't care what he does in the AHL, because the knocks on him in hartford are the same knocks he's had his whole career.

Again, being a link in the chain on a dominant NHL team with star players is a lot different than being the focal point on a dick team in the AHL. Yeah, in a perfect world, he'd go down to Hartford and tear the place apart. Until i see him struggle offensively at the NHL level, then I'll be concerned.

Again, being a link in the chain on a dominant NHL team with star players is a lot different than being the focal point on a dick team in the AHL. Yeah, in a perfect world, he'd go down to Hartford and tear the place apart. Until i see him struggle offensively at the NHL level, then I'll be concerned.

If he's being outperformed by other players in the AHL, why not use those ones as the links in the chain at the NHL level?

I'll ask this question again, since you keep ignoring it. Why are you so quick to praise his 18 game playoff performance, but completely ignore his lack of production through 29 AHL games this season? Or his lack of consistent production over a 114 game college career?

I already addressed it -- I dont care about the AHL. Never have. If Kreider was 40-40-80 playing for Hartford, it wouldnt change any of my expectations for his Rangers career.

And the only reason why I dont put any stock into what he's done in the AHL is because I personally saw him use his size, speed and skill at the highest level of NHL hockey. I don't care what he does in the AHL, because the knocks on him in hartford are the same knocks he's had his whole career.

Again, being a link in the chain on a dominant NHL team with star players is a lot different than being the focal point on a dick team in the AHL. Yeah, in a perfect world, he'd go down to Hartford and tear the place apart. Until i see him struggle offensively at the NHL level, then I'll be concerned.

But its not like he was some unstoppable force or something in the playoffs. He scored at a 32 point pace, while shooting 17% and getting extremely favorable zone starts.

It literally makes no sense how someone can hold that OK playoff performance in such high regard while completely ignoring his lack of college and AHL production